An All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillor was arrested in Asansol, West Bengal, on Tuesday for allegedly stockpiling government relief materials meant for the poor at his private residence, police officials confirmed. Tarun Chakraborty, who represents Ward 87 under the Asansol Municipal Corporation in West Burdwan district, was taken into custody and is set to be produced before a court in Asansol later the same day.

What Police Found

According to police, a significant portion of relief packages distributed by the government for underprivileged residents of the area were recovered from Chakraborty's residence. All seized materials have been taken into official custody. The scale of the hoarding suggests the diversion had been ongoing for some time, police said.

Wider Allegations Against the Councillor

The relief material seizure is not the only charge Chakraborty faces. Police allege he was also involved in illegal sand trading and extortion — specifically, extracting money in the name of providing financial assistance to low-income residents seeking support for housing projects. Officials said all these allegations will be probed during custodial interrogation, and strict legal action will follow if the charges are substantiated, according to a police officer.

Two Other TMC Workers Also Arrested

In a separate but related development on the same day, two other Trinamool Congress workers — Aniruddha Bagh and Balbir Singh — were also arrested. The pair, along with Chakraborty, is accused of threatening a resident of Jaanipur and extorting money. Bagh and Singh were apprehended from the Kanaipur area on Monday night and are to be produced before a Serampore court on Tuesday.

Pattern of Relief Material Diversions Across West Bengal

The Asansol arrest is not an isolated case. In a strikingly similar incident, Krishnanagar police in Nadia district recently detained Biman Krishna Saha, the TMC-backed chairman of Nabadwip Municipality, on allegations of illegally stocking relief materials at a local club building near his residence. During raids on the club premises, officers recovered trampolines, blankets, and sarees stored across ten rooms. This is at least the second such high-profile case in the state within a short span, pointing to what critics argue is a systemic pattern of relief diversion by local TMC functionaries.

Political Context

These arrests come amid what officials describe as a crackdown on illegal and criminal activities allegedly linked to TMC leaders, following a change in the state's political landscape. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has recently consolidated its position in the state government, and the enforcement actions are being seen in that broader political context. TMC has not issued a formal public response to the latest arrests as of the time of reporting.